


New World Order

by Arkayon



Category: Monster Hunter (Video Games)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Blood, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Bonding, Death, Drama, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/M, Hunters & Hunting, Hurt/Comfort, I gave major characters names because they need them, Kidnapping, Love Triangles, Monster Hunter: World, Mystery, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), POV First Person, Plot, Romance, Some angst, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, Violence, i just really wanted to write fic bc i'm obsessed with MHW, i love this franchise i swear, soooo many original characters, sorry if I butcher this, there's a lot more tags but i can't think of anything off the top of my head lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-20 16:50:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17026461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arkayon/pseuds/Arkayon
Summary: Five years after the Fifth Fleet discovered the reason behind the Elder Crossing and defeated Xeno'jiiva, a Sixth Fleet is enlisted and sent off to the New World.Yuka is an experienced Hunter from Dundorma who joined the Sixth Fleet to see the New World. Joined by her equally experienced hunting partner, Hama, and their two Handlers, Kigo and Dola, the group are eager to sink their claws into everything the New World has to offer.But all isn't as it seems though, as whispers of Monsters killing Hunters and taking their bodies, never to be found, begin to spread, with the Monsters now apparently attempting to get into Astera. The crew must try and fend off this new breed of aggressive Monsters, discover the reason behind it and stay alive in the meantime.Will the crew be able to survive this New World Order?





	1. Chapter 1

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

My hand smashed into the table with a loud bang, a crowd cheering and booing and calling out around us. I looked at the man whose hand was still grasping mine as he waved to the crowd triumphantly.

"Alright you big lug, you win!" I exclaimed, pulling my hand away. 

"Oh no you don't," He quickly grabbed my hand again and held it above my head, "You don't get to slink away after losing. You're gonna be my drinking buddy, as punishment and reward!"

He grabbed me by the waist and heaved me over his shoulder, walking us, a little unsteadily to the bar of the ship and placing me down in the seat beside him as others joined us in the festivities. The ship was huge and incredible and bustling with people and Palico alike, filling whatever silence fell between my companions and I with energetic conversations or emotional speeches on their hometowns or whatever drunken anecdote sprang to mind. My heart had been racing in my chest since we stepped on board alongside other Hunters and Handlers, I imagine everyone’s was as the shoreline to the New World was only getting closer and closer to us.

"I'll get you next time, Hama." I teased, elbowing my best friend's rib cage. He poked his tongue out at me, then stretched out, the bulk of his strong frame not leaving a lot of room between us on the small bar stools. I grabbed a huge pint that a Palico slipped onto the counter in front of us and downed as much as I could before looking around at everyone else having a good time on the ship. 

"Can you believe it, Yuka? We're the Sixth Fleet to get to the New World... I wonder if it's as incredible as they say?" Hama sighed, running his hands along the shaven sides of his head. His wild caramel coloured hair was an untameable mess as he looked around the warmly lit room alongside me. 

"It's kinda crazy... I mean, we've been in the Old World so long it's hard to imagine there was really anything else out there." I shrugged, pulling my own silvery hair back from my face. My armour was starting to get a little hot, the leather sticking to my body in the heat of the room as I loosened some straps then wiped my face. The all too familiar scar over my left eye was itching as I breathed out and nudged Hama with my elbow.

“I’m gonna get some fresh air… It’s way too hot in here.” I explained, standing up and tugging at the front of my armour to try and let some air between the fabric and my skin. 

“I’ll join ya,” He groaned, getting up from his seat and following behind me, “I mean, what’ll you do if a gust of wind knocks you on your ass and you need help fighting it off.”  
I made a derisive face at Hama, mock laughing at his funny as we scaled the stairs to get to the deck of the huge ship.

We passed a few other fleet members on the way up, garnering a friendly head nod or a smirk from them as we finally got up to the deck and I was relieved to feel the cool night air on my skin. I made my way to the guardrail of the ship and leaned against it, breathing in the salty sea air and looking out at the calm, inky-black sea. 

I couldn’t help but admire the peace this moment brought. Since we boarded the ship for the New World, it was 24/7 excitement from everyone. As fun as it was meeting new Hunters, trading battle stories and hearing everyone’s theories on the New World, quiet moments like these brought me some solace. 

There were a few people on deck too, probably trying to get away from the ruckus below deck as well. I could see some Handlers studying papers with each other and unsurprisingly a few people heaving their guts up into the ocean. I laughed at the sight, feeling Hama’s burning hot elbow pressed against mine as he laughed alongside me before we fell back into the comforting quiet. 

"Man, you'd think they'd at least let us train at night on this ship... It's boring just beating you in arm wrestling over and over again and having to wait for the trainers to come up with drills." Hama teased, staring up at the starry night sky.

“You beat me in one sparring match and suddenly you think you can take me on!” I exclaimed, slamming my hands on the guardrail. 

"If you wanna take it back to hometown wrestling matches, I'm all for it, Yuka." He smirked, lowering himself into a shoddy fighting stance. I did the same, Hama running at me and slinging me over his shoulder as I pummeled at his back, the pair of us laughing like fools.

"Are you two going at it again?" An annoyed voice asked from behind us. We both looked over and saw the familiar faces of our Handlers, Dola and Kigo, lit by a warm lantern looking less than impressed. Dola was a strong, intelligent woman who was quite possibly the only person on earth who could wrangle Hama and I. She was a tall, slim and attractive Wyverian woman, easy on the eyes, but she had a very sharp tongue and was witty to boot. I always wanted to be like her as a young kid, watching her one up even the adults in our village with knowledge on just about anything that far surpassed their own. 

She flicked her long, straight black hair frustratedly from her face then folded her arms, looking at us like a mother would at her misbehaving children.  
"I got to hear of your exploits while Kigo and I were trying to learn a little more on what's going on in the New World, something the pair of you would greatly benefit from if you stopped quarreling like children every four seconds. I swear, you two get worse every day. How you got to be A-List hunters when you turn everything into a game is beyond me!" She lectured us, Kigo standing behind her sheepishly. 

Kigo was my Handler and she was a bit of a wimp, but just as smart as Dola. She was fascinated by just about anything to do with monsters though, disappearing for days on end if she got her hands on a new specimen. The only reason she couldn't be a hunter was that coming face to face with anything bigger than a Poogie rendered her a quivering mess. She wasn't very forward either and Hama and I could usually get around asking Dola things by gently coercing Kigo to go along with it.

"I know, I know, Dola. We should be bettering ourselves and gaining knowledge and blah blah blah... We kill monsters, D. You guys are the ones that need to care about all the book stuff." Hama grinned, walking over to the annoyed Wyverian with me still slung over his shoulder and putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Um, Yuka? If you aren't busy, there's some stuff I kinda wanted to go over with you about the New World. I managed to borrow some notes from another Handler and I really think it could benefit you..." Kigo trailed off, looking at Dola for approval with her big, blue eyes. Hama put me down beside him and I tapped his stomach with my fist. He yanked my hair as I elbowed his side, Dola shooting us a warning glare.

"That sounds like a terrific idea, Kigo. Take Yuka and tell her everything while I take Hama and try to force the ignorance out of his head with some booksmarts." Dola quipped, grabbing Hama's arm and forcing him into a wristlock. I watched the two of them walk towards the stairs to below deck, Hama grunting and yelping in pain. I grinned down at Kigo, putting my arm around her dainty shoulders and walking alongside her as she talked animatedly about the new notes she’d borrowed from some other Handlers.

\---

After a few hours had passed, Kigo couldn't stop yawning and I could see Hama almost falling asleep at the table he and Dola were at. I stretched my arms out and then helped Kigo start collecting her papers before we walked over to our fellow companions. 

Dola obviously hadn't noticed that Hama was practically falling out of his chair as she explained the anatomy of a strange looking bird monster in great detail. 

"Dola, I think it's time to hit the hay... Hama stopped listening a while ago..." I yawned, nudging Hama until he fell out of his seat. 

"Hwah...?!" He sleepily gurgled, looking around before he realized what had happened. 

"C'mon, Hama. We've gotta get some rest before we hit land. Can't be tired on our first day." I teased, grabbing his hand and helping him up. Kigo walked over and stood by Dola as Hama and I made our way to the sleeping quarters. 

Inside was lit with soft glowing torches and suspended from the roof were rows of hammocks. A few people were already asleep, or passed out, inside so we made sure to be quiet as I practically dragged Hama alongside me. The four of us walked over to our elected hammocks and I pulled his out enough to dump him into his. Dola and Kigo just watched on as I unbuckled some of his armour to make his sleep a little more comfortable.

I climbed up the ladder to my own hammock above Kigo and was happy to be removing my own armour, sighing loudly as I stripped down to my underclothes and heard Kigo and Dola laugh from under me.

"So you and Hama are pretty close now, huh Yuka? A lot of people on board always point it out whenever you two train together. It’s like you’re on the same wavelength… You two practically finish each others sentences." Kigo giggled. 

"We're all close, Kigo. Hama and I are just hunters on top of it. We have to be on the same wavelength or we’ll end up dead… It’s not uncommon for Hunters to be close." I retorted defensively. Since our first training session on board, a lot of people had been pointing out "how close Hama and I were”. The four of us, Hama, Kigo, Dola and I all grew up together in the same mountain village. We all played and fought and lived together; We were as close as four people who weren't family could be. I let out an annoyed huff of air, Hama’s snores filling the tense silence between us as I sulked in my hammock. 

"Do you think the other people in Astera will be scary?" Kigo asked timidly, eventually breaking the silence.

"Don't worry about the others, Kigo. You're an excellent Handler, you have nothing to worry about." Dola piped up and I could practically feel the happiness radiating from Kigo after that one. Dola was something of a role model to Kigo, so the far and few compliments she ever gave her were a treasure. I rolled onto my back then leaned over my hammock, being careful not to fall out of it as I looked down at Kigo’s elated face. 

“If Dola’s not scared, you shouldn’t be either. She’s as fearless as it gets.” I teased, looking over at Dola. She rolled her eyes, an unmistakable smirk on her face as she rolled onto her side, pulling her blanket over her shoulders.

“Goodnight, you two.” She said quietly.

“Night, D.” I grinned, Kigo bidding her goodnight as well. 

“Yuka?” Kigo asked quietly, looking up at me. I looked through the gaps of the woven hammock at her cute, tired face, her bouncy blonde curls fanned out under her head. 

“Yeah?” 

“Are you scared? Of going to the New World?” 

I looked down at Kigo, unsure of how to answer. The New World had been so highly spoken of that all I really had were good feelings about it. I was excited to see the new monsters, I was excited to start a new life in Astera and see the place that we’d been told about and we were going to help build and expand. I was nervous and anxious and excited all rolled into one, my stomach constantly full of butterflies, but once I was surrounded by my companions, my family, I couldn’t wait to get to Astera.

“Nope!” I smiled, rolling on my back and putting my hands behind my head, “Not one bit.”

I heard Kigo shuffle around in her hammock as I closed my eyes and waited for a response. She was moving around for a while before I opened one eye and rolled on my side to look down at her.

“You want to know why.” I smirked, her question practically written on her face. She nodded, pulling her blanket up to her nose and looking up at me. 

“Because I have you guys,” I explained, “As long as you guys are around, I’ll be way to busy protecting you all, and kicking Hama’s butt, to be scared.” 

That managed to pull a laugh from my nervous Handler as I rolled back onto my back and looked up at the roof above me. 

“We’ve got nothing to be scared of, Kigo. I promise,” I sighed contentedly, “Now get some sleep.”

“Goodnight, Yuka.” Kigo yawned.

“Night, Kigo. Sleep tight.”

“Don’t let the Rathalos bite.”  
\----  
"HELP ME!" 

I was shocked awake by loud screaming, almost falling out of the hammock as I sat up and saw most of the others were looking around in shock, a few of them making their way to the deck of the ship. 

I got up, jumping out of my hammock and kicking Hama out of his, forcing a loud grunt from him as he hit the floor and was quickly forced awake.  
"Get up, get your weapons!" I cried, rummaging through the item box and pulling out my shoddy pair of training Dual Blades. Hama retrieved his Lance and more Hunters followed suit, a group of us running into the deck. 

We were shocked to find a few bloodied bodies strewn along the deck of the ship, others cowering behind whatever cover they could find. We found the source of the scream and it took everyone by surprise;

A Handler was dangling from the mouth of a monster I'd never seen before, a Hunter desperately trying to pull her out of the beasts fangs. She was screaming, as was the Hunter as we rushed over and I could hear the scared cries of Kigo from behind us.

"Hama! Yuka! That's a Bazelgeuse! It's scales are explosive! Get away from it!" She screamed. 

I looked at Hama, a passionate fire burning in his eyes as we nodded to one another and ran at the beast. 

It was definitely an ugly one, scales lining most of its head and body, almost everywhere but it's underside and leathery wings. It noticed the group of us running for it and immediately dropped the fatally injured Handler on the deck of the ship, her body like a ragdoll as she landed.

"Get her outta here! Get anyone who can't hold a weapon below deck too! I want to see Hunters up here only!" We heard a voice bark from behind us. I turned and saw the Sixth Fleet Master, Harris, commanding the crew as injured people and Handlers left the deck. Harris was a formidable man, as tall as a tree and as immovable as a boulder. He was scarred and battered from years as a veteran hunter in the Old World, his long hair greyed and face tanned and wrinkled. His most notable feature was a burn on the right side of his body that ran from his hairline all the way down to his foot. Rumor has it he singlehandedly fought off an invading pair of Monsters, a Teostra and it's female counterpart, a Lunastra with just his blade and a single Potion when they attacked his village. He was praised highly for it, and he was something of a hero to most hunters. It was still dawning on me that a hero like him would offer to train up Hunters for the New World, despite his bad attitude and inability to speak to us like human beings.

I could see Dola pulling Kigo away as Hama and I readied ourselves and Harris took his place at the front of the group. 

"Hama, distract it! Give us a chance to get a few shots in! Maybe we can scare it off!" I cried, watching Hama race into battle, striking the beasts face with his Lance. 

"Oi, ugly! Get your scaly ass off our ship!" Hama taunted, banging his shield with his Lance. The Bazelgeuse let out a defeating cry, forcing us to cover our ears with our hands until it stopped and we all leapt into battle. Hama was our front line defence, using his bulk to hold off the few swipes that the monster was aiming at us. It lunged towards him and I watched as Hama ducked behind his shield, using it as a battering ram to smash into the monsters skull, stunning it for a brief moment. Harris had taken the distraction and used it to his advantage, driving his Longsword into the beasts side and forcing it to swing it’s ugly head at him, drawing the attention away from the rest of us.

I took my chance, as did a few of the others, and ran at the beast, my blades at the ready. Throwing all my power into it, I gripped my blades tight and threw all the power I had into a spinning slash at the beast’s scaly skull.

The training blades practically bounced off the monsters head, forcing me to skid backwards where Hama’s awaiting hand gripped my wrist and stopped me.  
"Tch, these blades are useless!" I roared, immediately readying myself for the next attack. 

"A real Hunter never blames their tools, Yuka! Just gotta hit it harder!" Hama teased, the sweat already beading on his face as he pushed me behind him and bore the full brunt of a left kick from the Bazelgeuse, it's talons practically shaving through the weak metal of the shield. 

"Hama!" I screamed, seeing shiny red blood dripping onto the deck of the ship. 

"It's fine! Get in there!" He grimaced as I dashed over to where the other Hunters were now trying to land some hits. Harris was at the front lines again, the other trainers at the ready with their weapons. The rest of us in the fleet were ordered to take cover and I looked at Hama. 

"Hama, get down there. I'm staying here!" I barked, watching him smirk derisively.

"And let you and those scrawny arms show me up? No way!" He laughed, gripping his bleeding forearm. 

"Both of you were given orders, now move!" Harris boomed, striking the Bazelgeuse with his Longsword at lightening speed. The monster roared in anger, swiping at the Hunters with its tail before scattering scales all over the deck. I watched some of the other hunters kick them away, brushing them off the deck as a few of them exploded, charring the wood of the deck and throwing a few Hunters through the air.

"Yuka, dive!" Hama ordered, and I did as he said, shoulder rolling away from the scales and drawing my blades. I was on my feet before I had time to think of a plan, screaming at the top of my lungs before running at the beast as it’s scales exploded around me. 

"Yuka, Kecha plan!" Hama called out and I saw him run over near the deck and kneel down, interlocking his fingers and waiting for me to get near him. 

"Distract it!" I cried to Harris and the trainers, pumping my legs as hard and fast as they'd take me, lining up the jump in my head. 

I counted to three in my head, ignoring the cries of my superiors around me and leapt into Hama's awaiting hands, holding my Dual Blades out in front of me as he launched me up and I flew up and towards the monsters leathery wings, managing to grip them and slide down the thick surface before grabbing onto the beasts leg. 

"Restrain that monster!" I heard Harris command, aiming his Slinger at the monster. I did the same, aiming mine at the ship and firing, watching the hook splinter the wood as I pulled on it to test the strength. 

It seemed steady enough and I quickly wrapped some rope around my hand to be safe. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart as the monster bucked and rolled against the restraints and I was thrown off before I could blink. 

I soared through the air, wind whipping my hair, and tried to brace for impact against the ship. My feet hit the hard wooden surface and I ended up spinning out a little from hitting where the boat was wet, the rope from the Slinger burning my hand. I kicked against the ship to stop rolling, then tried climbing up as fast as I could, looking over my shoulder at the Bazelgeuse to make sure it couldn't grab me. 

"Yuka, gimme your hand!" Hama yelled, holding his good hand over the edge of the railing. Before I could jump, I heard the snapping of rope and looked over to see the Bazelgeuse coming free of its restraints. I tried using the barnacles on the ship as steps, feeling my skin scrape against them and grinding my teeth to stop from yelling out as I swiftly jumped, trying to catch Hama's hand. 

He leaned over further, our fingertips brushing as I slid back down to where I was before, feeling barnacles scrape my shins and water soaking my bottom half. 

"Hama, you get her up here, NOW! This monster's breaking loose!" Harris grunted, his slinger one of the only ones to still lodged in the beast, his feet sliding as the monster was attempting to pull away. Hama was now almost entirely leaned over the rail, his hand outstretched as I took a shaky deep breath and mustered all my strength into one last jump.  
Our hands connected and Hama yanked me up like I weighed nothing. He fell back and I landed beside him, the wind knocked from my lungs from hitting the ground so hard and I was forced to my feet by Hama and a trainer pushing us below deck. 

"Hunters! We aren't going to be able to hunt this thing on this damn boat! Repel it! Dung Pods, at the ready!" Harris commanded, loading his Slinger with the foul smelling pods as the others followed suit. 

Hama had managed to get us below deck, to where we were met with chaos. The Hunters who wanted to be on deck were standing right by the door, a few bombarding us with questions, while others were trying to attend to the injured. 

"What's going on up there?" 

"Are they going to be okay?" 

"I hate this waiting shit! I wanna get up there with the action!" 

"Those two disobeyed Harris, he's gonna be pissed!"

The Handler from earlier was wrapped in makeshift bandages to stop the bleeding but her face was paper white and she was mumbling incoherently. I could see the blood seeping through the bandages around her torso as a few others were trying to administer treatment and a woman, who I assumed to be her Hunter counterpart, was sobbing beside her.  
Before Hama could put me down, he was met with a push with almost no strength behind it. 

I looked down and saw Kigo, tears steaming down her cute round face and her curly hair all frazzled. Her little hands were balled into fists as she seethed at the pair of us.  
"I can't believe you two would be so STUPID!" She roared, catching the attention of a few of the others. Hama and I looked at each other, then back at Kigo. I felt horrible seeing her this way, her whole dainty frame shaking and her face bright red and tear stained. 

I could see Dola standing away from Kigo, but just close enough to see her wipe her face. Kigo continued to assault us with a barrage of weak punches and shoves as Hama and I silently agreed to take it until she was worn out. 

"You could have been hurt!" She screamed, pushing me backwards. 

"You could have been blown up!" She cried, punching Hama's stomach. 

"You two could have died! Didn't you see what it did to that Handler! That could have been either one of you!" She shouted, shoving the both of us. I stood there alongside Hama, all eyes on us as I went to speak but we were shocked silent by Kigo pulling us into a tight hug. 

"Y-you... I'm s-so happy... You're a-a-alive..." Kigo sobbed, Dola coming to join us. She would never admit it, but the fact she was worried was enough for me. Hama was trying not to get overwhelmed as well as he pat Kigo's back gently, then threw an arm around my shoulders.

"We could fight a hundred of those monsters and come out on top, Kigo. We're the best hunters Dundorma ever bred, there's no monster we can't handle together." Hama said softly, still patting her back. Kigo pulled away, wiping the tears from her face and looking up at us. 

"Y-you two are never... N-never allowed to do that again!" She barked, Dola nodding firmly from behind her. 

"We're Hunters, Kigo. We have to hunt," I laughed cheerily, putting my arm around Hama's neck, "Besides, what's this big lug good for besides distracting monsters?"

"Hey!" Hama yelped, prodding my ribs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So welcome to my over-written Monster Hunter World fic... I swear the chapters won't all be this long maybe? I just didn't know when to end this without it seeming awkward?
> 
> I love the Monster Hunter franchise and I'm obsessed with MHW and their characters (epsecially Field Team Leader, yum), and I decided to make a fic. Don't really know where this fic is gonna go, I wanna have an actual plot but also like drama and mystery and smut lmao so please bear with me, I'm trying not to butcher the series I love ( ; - ; )


	2. One After the Other

Once the Bazelgeuse was scared off, we were all ordered on deck. 

It was still dark by the time we all got up, the injured members remaining below deck with a few of our trainers administering first aid. 

Dola and Kigo managed to patch us up fine, Hama's arm not being nearly as bad as the blood made it out to be and I was just bruised and a little scraped up.  
Harris paced in front of us, his aura a little scary as he just scowled and refused to look at us. 

"I want to make this very clear; under no circumstance is anyone on my fleet to fight unprepared and ill equipped." Harris growled, his sharp blue eyes glaring at everyone until they landed on Hama and I. 

"Yes, sir!" We barked in unison. 

"What you did was irresponsible, more than one of your own was injured and you managed to damage the ship in the process! Your actions could have sunk us!" Harris continued, folding his arms and heaving a deep sigh. Nobody dared speak, not even Hama and I despite us being the main pair in trouble. I refused to look away though, meeting Harris' glare with a neutral look as he lectured the lot of us. 

"This kind of behavior will get you killed and I don't want to see anymore of it, or you'll be kissing the New World goodbye before you have time to sneeze, do I make myself clear?" Harris snapped, his gaze fixed on Hama and I. 

"Yes, sir!" 

"Dismissed, all of you. We hit the New World in a few hours. I want you lot looking presentable and I want this ship cleaned up too." Harris sighed before walking off to the Captains Quarters. Everyone heaved a collective sigh of relief that we weren't in trouble, but I could feel a few eyes on Hama and I as we started to assess the damage of the ship. 

"Well I don't regret it." We heard another Hunter say to his Handler.

"Yeah, if we didn't at least distract the monster, it would have taken that girl!" 

"Didn't you hear? A lot of people have been being taken by monsters! That's part of why they wanted so many A-list Hunters on the Sixth Fleet!" 

I perked up, leaning over to hear the conversation carry on. 

"Yeah, I heard that too... Apparently they found a body in a monster nest but when the scouts waited over night, there was no monster and when they checked back after a few days, there was still no sign that anything had even been there. No footprints or scales or anything that would indicate a monster." A Handler squeaked, her voice a little shaky at the mention. 

"Do they think they know which monster it was? Monsters don't usually go right after Hunters without reason, right? And they don't really take them either?" A Hunter scratched his head. We saw a few more people join us on the deck, including Kigo and Dola. 

"Kigo, Dola, did you know about the monsters abducting people?" I asked, being careful to pick up some stray scales and toss them into the sea. 

"We heard but we put it down to hearsay. Why wouldn't the Guild give us that information? It's just a rumour, don't take it seriously." Dola shrugged, gingerly dropping a Bazelgeuse scale into the ocean.

"Yeah... I asked around but nobody in charge confirmed it so we didn't really think anything of it. Here, let me help!" Kigo explained, rushing over to help another Hunter pick up some loose potion bottles. Hama and I shoved a few supply crates back to where they were meant to be while Dola joined Kigo. 

"Hey, Hama?" I asked quietly. 

"What's up?" He grunted, dropping a heavy crate. 

"If that stuff about the Monsters taking people isn't true, how does that explain that Bazelgeuse? I get if we were in its territory, but we’re in the middle of the ocean and it really wanted that Handler." 

Hama was silent for a moment, just rubbing the back of his head before shrugging. 

"No idea, Yu. Maybe that was just a one time thing. Don't let it stress you out. We're going to the New World, a whole new place for me to be a better hunter than you!" Hama teased. I snickered at his jab but the thought wouldn't stop pestering me. 

\--

Nobody wanted to sleep in case we missed our first glimpse of the New World. After what happened though, I don’t think seeing the New World was the reason so many of us were restless.

The sun was starting to peek over the horizon, painting the sky a baby pink and casting muted rays of light on the still dark ocean. 

We all raced to the front of the ship, pushing past and climbing over one another so we could get a glimpse of the New World. 

Mernos circled the sky above the ship, calling out to one another as some flew alongside the ship. 

"Yuka, look!" Kigo exclaimed, running over to the side of the ship and pointing out at a Gajau bumping the ship angrily. 

"That's one ugly fish..." I frowned, staring at the whiskered beasts ugly face as it gaped it's mouth at us. 

"You think we'll get to see more?" Kigo asked excitedly, clambering over to where Dola and Hama were standing. 

"You'll be able to fill a whole book with the monsters we'll see, Kigo!" Hama beamed, excitedly leaning over the railing to get a better view. 

"It'll be the experience of a lifetime for us as Handlers, Kigo." Dola smirked, brushing her hair behind her shoulder. My heart was racing and my stomach felt all light and airy the closer we got to land. I could see a group of people waiting on the beach, some of them waving as our ship felt like it was taking an eternity to reach the dock. 

"Yuka, C'mere!" Hama called out, throwing his hand out and pulling me up to where he was standing. The view was incredible, thick, leafy forests skirting the edge of the beach with its pristine white sand, mountains surrounding us creating a natural bay. The sun was climbing higher and higher now, giving us more and more to look at as Harris came out and started barking orders. 

"Prepare to dock, cadets! I want everyone to hit the ground running as soon as we dock, so that means any gear and possessions you may have packed up! Anyone caught wasting time has to book it up the mountain carrying my gear as well, and I don't pack lightly." Harris boomed, snapping us all out of our enchanted states. We did as he said, most of us rushing to below deck to start packing. 

I turned and went to jog off but noticed Hama still rooted in place, staring out at the view. 

"You coming?" I called out, putting a hand on my hip. The wind whipped his wild hair about as he turned and looked at me, a wide grin slapped across his face. He looked like an excited kid again, and I could feel a smile on my own face. 

"We're actually here, Yu. We're at the New World!" He beamed, jogging over to me. I couldn't help but feel excited too, the pair of us making our way below deck to pack our gear. To save time, we agreed to bundle our gear in altogether and loaded it up onto Hama I'd only packed a few things from home since the Guild wanted us to pack light in case of emergencies, plus we were supplied with everything we needed on the ship anyway. 

I grabbed my spare underclothes, a couple of papers that Kigo wanted me to read and a letter from home, signed by everyone in the village and packed them carefully into the pack. Hama was haphazardly stuffing his own gear into a bag, including his "good luck charm", a Rathalos scale necklace that was chipped and worn, the colour long faded from age and wear. 

He grabbed his bag and tossed it into the pack while Dola looked at him disapprovingly. 

"What?" Hama smirked, knowing it got to Dola. She gave a sharp exhale then returned to her own packing while Kigo was rearranging some books to fit better.  
"I'm surprised you even bought all these books, Kigo. We won't need all this information on Old World monsters in the New World." I smiled, picking up one of her books and flicking through the pages. 

"That's not true, Yu! Some Old World monsters are in the New World from what I heard and I wanna be prepared, plus I might be able to compare notes with some of the other handlers so I had to pack these." Kigo explained, excitedly bouncing on her feet as she grabbed the book from me and stuffed it in her already strained bag before putting it in the pack. The last to pack was Dola, her own bag filled with books, as well as a few trinkets from home. She may have acted mature, but she always made sure to pack a scrap of fabric she referred to as "Leemo". It was her childhood blanket and she often used it as a means to calm herself down when her studies got too overwhelming. She tenderly placed Leemo in her bag and then put a few necessities on top before placing it on top of Kigo's bag and I closed up the pack, helping Hama load it onto his broad back. 

"Jeez, you guys didnt pack light did you?" He groaned, adjusting the strap that crossed his chest to sit a little less awkwardly on his shoulder. 

"Toughen up, Hama. This'll be good training for you." I teased, slapping the pack. He shoved me with his elbow as Dola and Kigo double checked our hammocks and supply chest and the group of us followed the rest of the crowd on board. 

Harris was standing by with a few new faces as we all lined up and he gave every one of us a stern look. 

"Since we can't dock at Astera, we have to walk. Think of it as training. Up there," Harris pointed out to the top of the nearest mountain and we all followed his finger, "Is Astera. It's about a two hour walk, so we'll get there in the morning and you'll all be able to look around before you're given your assignments." 

I could feel the anticipation radiating from all of us as we all squinted up the mountain. Astera looked huge even from where we were standing, a few whispers from everyone adding to the excitement as Harris begrudgingly ignored us and continued talking. 

"We're to move as a unit. You'll have plenty of time to explore when you're out hunting. I don't want anybody straying away for any reason whatsoever. I want Handlers with their designated Hunters, and a few volunteers to help transport our injured members and whatever you do, do not, under any circumstances, engage any monster we may happen upon on the way up. Should we happen across any, you're to leave them alone and should they engage with us, I want you to move forward and let the professionals here handle it." Harris lectured us, paying careful attention to Hama and I. I gave a sheepish smile as Hama just nodded, trying not to smirk. We were in trouble and we knew it. 

"Do I make myself clear?" Harris barked as I felt myself straighten up. 

"Yes, sir!" We responded mechanically.

"Then move out! You'll be led by a few members from Astera, make sure nobody is left behind either." 

The group lurched into gear, everyone pairing up with their designated other half while a few people hung back to help transport the injured members of our party who were laid out on some crudely put together stretchers. I watched as the Asteran's introduced themselves and started leading us towards a beaten path in the thick jungles that surrounded us. 

I turned to try and find Kigo, spotting her alongside some other Handlers and waving her down. 

"Yu, this place is beautiful!" She beamed, any anxiety she may have had gone at the sight around us. 

"I know right! And just think about what else we could see on our way there." I beamed, throwing my arm around her delicate shoulders. 

"I heard they have piles and piles of ecological research papers in Astera, enough to keep you busy for the rest of your life. I can't wait to get my hands on it." Kigo grinned intensely. It was almost scary, as her face was reminiscent of a starving monster, the sheer thought of seeing her devour those papers enough to conjure a laugh from me.  
"What's so funny?" She asked. I looked down at her as she stared up at me, her features softened now and laughed harder. 

"You're doing that thing... Y'know, when you just..." I raised my hands like claws and watched as Kigo frowned at me. 

"I am not doing that!" She pouted, folding her arms. I ruffled her hair then grabbed her hand, leading us up the mountain behind the others. I couldn't help but notice that Kigo wouldn't stop staring at the injured handler though and felt a heavy sense of guilt weigh on my shoulders. 

She was right last night. That could have been me or Hama or even Dola. Worst of all, it could have been her. My hand squeezed hers as she looked over at me, then gave me a reassuring smile. Kigo felt like a little sister and I always had an overwhelming feeling to protect her. She always dreamed of a chance like this, to see new places and get her dainty little hands around whatever scrap of monster she could find to study but it wasn't without its risks. 

She wasn't built like a Hunter and even of she was, she didn't have the nerve to fight anything. I looked down at her, barely hearing whatever it was she was gushing about and smiled again, seeing her raise an eyebrow at me. 

"Yuka? Am I doing it again?" She inquired and I shook my head before wrapping my arms around her shoulders and resting my head on top of hers, squeezing her tightly. 

"I'm just happy that you're here." I grinned as she just looked at me curiously. 

\------

Astera was within our sights as the Sixth Fleet approached the huge palisade ahead of us. 

Harris was leading us, a few of the fleet talking with him and the trainers while I walked wearily alongside Hama. 

"I'm nervous..." I admitted, staring at the towering structure as the gate crept open. Before this, I'd practically been foaming at the mouth to be in Astera, but I couldn't help the butterflies in my stomach as the realities of the place hit me. 

"About what?" Hama chuckled, my somber expression forcing him to stifle it as best he could. I looked over my shoulder at the injured Handler and the thought of that Bazelgeuse before turning back to Hama. 

"Oh... Yeah..." He muttered, frowning at the ground. We shared an uncomfortable moments silence as my gaze wandered over to where Kigo and Dola were happily chatting with some of the others. 

"What if that rumor's true, Hama? What if people are getting kidnapped?" I sighed, clenching my fists. I felt his hand on my head as he purposely messed up my hair and skewed my goggles. 

"Then you and I are gonna get them all back. We’ll get ‘em all back and show Astera what we’re made of.” Hama grinned determinedly, his enthusiasm a little contagious as the butterflies in my stomach were starting to ebb away. We walked side by side to the gate, Kigo and Dola walking in the group ahead of us. I had to admit it was impressive as I admired the craftsmanship that would have been put into it. I could see Astera inside but before Hama and I could walk through that gate, my attention was dragged to a scuffle to the left of us. 

Before I had time to think, I was being forced onto the ground by Hama’s bulking muscle, a monster crashing through dense jungle and running for the group getting through the gate. I saw Kigo’s fluffy hair in amongst them, Dola trying her best to drag her to safety as she stared up at the beast in fear. Hama was now holding my head against his shoulder, bracing us for the inevitable roar the beast would unleash as I stared at Kigo and Dola scrambling to get away, terrified that it was going to see them. It was unlike any monster I’d ever come to know, it’s scaly, prehistoric looking body smashing against the now closed gate. It was at least three times the size of the Great Jaggi’s I’d known well as a fledgling hunter, thick black feathers running from its shoulders to its tail and disgusting spit flying from it’s gaping jaws as it let off a loud, spine-tingling cry. All I could hear were screams and immediately my attention was stolen away from the beast and over to where Kigo and Dola were now calling out at us from behind the protective gate. I felt much better that they were safe but Hama and I weren’t in the clear yet and I would have forgotten about the injured members of the fleet if I didn’t see Harris gently placing them in a thick, leafy bush near Hama and I.

“Hama! Yuka!” I heard Kigo scream out and I looked over to see the beast running for us. Hama pulled me to my feet and dragged the both of us out of it’s way as it skidded to a halt and Harris immediately sprang into action, his Longsword at the ready as he struck the beasts powerful looking legs. It kicked out wildly, then turned its ugly head to snap at Harris as his movements were lightning fast, striking at the beasts head and stunning it. 

“OI! You two wanted to fight so bad! Get in here!” Harris barked, snapping me to attention. I could practically feel the heat radiating from Hama as he looked at me and grinned. I felt lightning run through my veins as I followed his lead, the pair of us drawing our weapons of choice; Hama’s Iron Lance and my own Matched Slicer Dual Blades.  
Both were given to us in place of our usual High Level weapons when we’d managed to prove ourselves to His Immenseness back in Dundorma. Hama and I had fought any monster that came our way, completed any and every quest that Kigo and Dola would dig from the depths of the Guild and throw ourselves into any mess we could if it meant we could prove ourselves as true Hunters. These weapons were granted to us as a reminder of our strength in the face of adversity and our commitment to being hunters; they were also a form of test for us. We’d been so used to using our day-to-day weapons and having a surplus of others for whatever we needed that hunting in the New World would be “too easy”, or at least that’s what His Immenseness told us during the Hunters Ceremony. 

We were told that along with adjusting to the New World, we had to follow their means of gaining weaponry so we were given the base level everything and Hama and I planned to claw our way to the top blindfolded if we had to. 

My fingers wrapped around the cool iron handles of my blades as I drew them out, holding them out in front of me. Their build was simple but effective looking as Hama’s own Lance seemed to satisfy him for the most part. We had been itching for a real fight with real weapons as I felt my heart race with excitement in my chest and the pair of us turned our attention from each other to the huge monster ahead of us.


	3. Fateful Encounters

Sweat was dripping from my face as Harris, Hama and I were still trying to fight the Anjanath off. It was relentless and refused to give in as the three of us tried our hardest not only to defeat the beast but to keep it away from the injured members of the fleet. We hadn’t eaten before disembarking from the ship, we had no Health Potions or whetstone and to top it off, we were having to try and fend the Monster away from our injured fleet members.

Occasionally when it got too close, Hama would launch me onto the beasts back, he and Harris trying to trip the beast up as it attempted to buck me off and deal with Harris and Hama attacking it’s legs.

“Why isn’t this damn thing dying!?” Harris grunted, back-hopping to try and dodge the monster’s snapping jaws lunging out at him. 

“Why hasn’t it crawled back to it’s nest at least?” Hama panted, taking on the full brunt of a left kick and rolling along the ground. I had one of my blades stabbed into the beasts back and my hand gripped the beasts black feathers, holding on for dear life as it ran at at the gate and slammed it’s massive body against it. I waited for it to stop and began my own assault, tearing at the monsters already bloodied back, feeling some blood hit my face as I wiped it away. My blades were covered in flesh and blood and I felt sick at the sight, but more than that I was starting to feel afraid for the first time since getting here. Harris, Hama and I were going on like this for at least an hour, hitting it with all we had but it was like hitting a Rathalos with a rock and expecting it to faint right out of the sky.

I was thrown off the beast, hitting the ground and rolling in the dirt as the Anjanath continued to try and fight off the two men. I managed to pull my aching body off the ground and draw my weapons again, feeling my own health dwindling. Hama was swaying on his feet, his shielded arm bruised purple, hand swollen closed around his shield and Harris was visibly exhausted but the monster was still fighting furiously. I could see it’s chest heaving, it’s scaly pink body stained with it’s blood and tufts of feathers missing, drool dripping from it’s bottom jaw.

“You two distract it! If we can get it away from the gate long enough to get the injured members inside, we don’t have to kill the damn thing!” Harris barked at Hama and I, his gorgeous sapphire blade pointed at the beast. We looked over and saw a few faces hiding in the bushes, too petrified to move to the gate where some others were now attempting to raise the gate to let us in. 

“Harris, you stubborn old Gammoth! You haven’t changed a bit!” We heard someone announce and my attention was dragged away from the rampaging beast. Standing at the entrance were three imposing figures, two of them with huge weapons drawn and at the centre of them was a man beaming from ear to ear at Harris.

I looked over at our Fleet Commander and could see his usually frustrated face crack into a smile for the first time in history, probably. 

“Solomon, you great, stinking Rajang! See you still haven’t taken to a weapon yet!” Harris smirked, a renewed burst of energy pushing him to close in on the Anjanath. 

Hama and I were confused, glancing over at each other until the Anjanath barrelled right at us and we were forced to jump out of it’s way. 

“Hama! Yuka! Get the injured out of here!” Harris simpered, the two Hunters who were standing with Solomon dashing over to help us. I was starstruck at this point, my attention focused on the man we’d been hearing about since the day we’d heard about the New World; Commander Solomon. 

Astera’s ‘cornerstone of the Research Commission’, the unquestioned leader of all of Astera and the one who shouldered all of Astera’s trials and tribulations with a nod of his head and plan to solve them. He wasn’t a revered Hunter like Harris, but he didn’t need to be. He was incredibly intelligent and he’d kept Astera running like a well oiled machine for almost fifty odd years now. He was definitely a veteran, his cropped white hair and white stubble a stark contrast to his tanned skin, wrinkles and smile lines lining his aged face.

“Yu, wanna give me a hand or you just gonna stand there catching flies?” Hama called out, helping a Handler lift up one of the injured fleet members’ stretcher. I put my weapons away, my attention still focused on the battle beside us. 

The two men with the giant weapons were now fighting alongside Harris, the three of them looking completely in their element as the younger one of the party was taking most of the hits to let Harris and the armored Hunter smash blow after blow into the Anjanath. They called out to one another like old friends as Hama and his Handler counterpart dashed to the gate, Solomon quickly pushing them inside before my friend spotted another person flagging him down for help.

“Over here!” A Handler piped up from a dense bush, one side of the stretcher in his hands. I put my weapons away and scooped up the other side, taking care not to bump the injured crew member around as they fluttered in and out of consciousness. 

“You got it?” I asked, readying myself to lift the stretcher. The Handler nodded, determination sparkling in his eyes as we heaved up the stretcher and began to make our way to the gate. As much as I was trying not to, I couldn’t look away from the battle, the Anjanath now sneezing out a huge line of fire from it’s nose and setting some of the surrounding jungle ablaze. Harris and the two others nimbly dodged the scorching fire and immediately sprung back into action. 

As we closed in on the gate, Solomon quickly took the stretcher from my hands and smiled down at me and I couldn’t help notice the smile lines in his mature face.

“Quickly! I’ll take this, you get out there and help your fleet members!” He boomed, his baritone voice commanding and powerful, pushing me back out there as Hama and the final group of the fleet jogged into the safe confines of the gate. 

“That’s everyone, Yu! We better get in there before Kigo and Dola have a heart attack!” Hama grinned, slapping my aching shoulder with his swollen hand. I couldn’t wait to get back to them, the thought of them worrying over us yet again enough to make me forget about the ensuing battle that had me gripped only moments earlier. 

Hama jogged ahead of me and as I went to join him, I was knocked off my feet, wind knocked from my lungs as I hit a boulder front on and rolled along the dirt. I was seeing stars, coughing and choking on dirt and spit as the Anjanath was now running straight for me. It’s menacing jaws were open and at the ready to scoop me up but I couldn’t move no matter how much I wanted to. My head was spinning and I felt ready to pass out as I watched the beast’s huge, lumbering frame running straight for me. 

“YUKA!” I heard Hama scream, fear in his voice I’d never heard before. I lolled my head to look at him, his terrified but angry face running at me before I was scooped up and flew through the air, a single strong arm wrapped around my waist. 

“I’ve got you! Don’t worry!” A voice called out close to my ear. I felt the person who’d saved me hit the ground running as sounds and voices were now fading in and out, my eyes rolling around in my head as I tried to stay awake. I felt hands slip under my knees, bumping up and down as the person carrying me jogged along. 

“I’ll take her!” Hama called out. 

“It’s fine! Get out there and help Master and Harris! You don’t know where the infirmary is and she needs attention!” My saviour’s voice commanded, making his chest vibrate against my cheek. I managed to lift a hand out, feeling what I hoped was Hama’s chest and managing to focus on him as hard as I could. 

“I…I’m… Okay… Now get out… there…” I choked, Hama’s hand wrapping around my own. I couldn’t see his expression to well but he squeezed my hand tightly before letting go.  
“You’re going to be okay. I’ll get you to the infirmary, just hold on.” My saviour said quietly and kindly. I squinted up at him, noticing his gentle eyes, a scar above his eyebrow and one along his cheek. He looked young and handsome and I nodded up at him, letting myself eventually pass out against his chest.

\---

“She’ll be fine, Kigo… She’ll pull through. These two couldn’t stay down if you buried them.” Dola’s soothing voice was cooing, trying to muster a laugh from Kigo. I could feel a weight on my arm, soft sobs from beside me as I swallowed dryly. 

“She has to pull through… She has to…” I could hear Hama chanting. My eyes fluttered open and I was met with gentle light and a wooden ceiling. I was on a soft bed, my friends all looking forlorn around me as I blinked a few times to try and wake myself up.

“I’ve taken harder hits from a Kelbi…” I choked, trying to sit up as my joints cracked and popped in protest. I was immediately crushed by the weight of my companions each trying to pull me into a crushing hug. 

“Yuka!” Kigo yelped, her little arms wrapping around my waist. 

“We saw that Hunter carry you in and we didn’t know what to do! You’ve been asleep all day!” Dola cried, gripping my head and pulling it against her chest, stroking my hair lovingly, her own long, sweet smelling hair falling in my face. I looked over at Hama who was standing by with his arms folded. 

“I’m glad you’re okay…” He sniffed, not looking at me. He stood by the entryway with his arms folded, kicking at the ground as I let out a sigh and smirked over at him. Raising a hand, I beckoned him over as he dropped the act and pulled me into a death grip that outmatched all the strength Kigo and Dola were using to squeeze the life out of me. 

“Okay! Crushing me to death!” I choked, patting Hama and Kigo’s shoulders and trying to push them off. I took a deep breath in, my lungs finally filling with air as the trio stepped back and I kicked the blanket that I was under off of me. I was surprised to see that I was clean, my armor replaced by clean underclothes as I stretched my legs out and noticed that despite the bruising, I was mostly healed up. 

“Ah! I see someone’s awake!” I heard a familiar baritone voice announce from the doorway of the infirmary. We all looked over to see Commander Solomon, Harris and the two Hunters from earlier. I immediately recognised the face of the younger of the pair, feeling a smile pull at the corner of my lips as he nodded politely at me. 

“Yes, sir. Thank you for your concern.” I smiled, trying to get up from the bed as pins and needles shot up my legs at my feet hitting the floor. I hissed at the sensation as both Kigo and Dola immediately gripped both my arms and I shook them off, standing up by myself. 

“You Dual Blade users really don’t take your health into consideration. Too busy burning up that stamina.” The armoured man sighed, his inflection joking and light. I couldn’t help but notice his armor, the sight of such an old set in the New World a little surprising.

“I’m sorry, sir. I tend to get swept up sometimes.” I half-smiled, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly. 

“Drop the formalities, Yuka. Solomon here is as much a ‘sir’ as I am.” Harris smirked, patting Commander Solomon’s shoulder a little too hard. 

“Knock it off, Harris. It’s good for the girl to have manners considering she was stuck on a boat with you as a mentor for months. If she took your advice, she’d be as pleasant as an Enraged Bullfango,” Solomon shot back at Harris, the two men grinning at each other before Solomon turned to me, “Don’t worry about the formalities, young Hunter. Call me Solomon, everyone else does.” 

I nodded, still surprised to see Harris acting so differently to how he was on the boat. My eyes travelled over to the young Hunter again, his hand rubbing the back of his dark-haired head as he smiled at Harris and Solomon’s jeering. He and Solomon were both wearing Commission Armour sets, but his chest was exposed enough to show off his carved chest muscles which I had to admit wasn’t a bad sight.

“Harris may have a point, Grandfather. Master and I have been standing here this whole time and you haven’t introduced us yet.” The young Hunter teased, pointing over at the armored Hunter with his chin. 

“Like you need an introduction, Amos. You saved young Yuka’s life! I doubt she’d forget that!” Solomon slapped his hand on the young man, Amos’, shoulder. 

“Thank you for that. I appreciate it…” I trailed off as he smiled kindly at me. 

“I couldn’t exactly leave you where you were. Don’t sweat it. If anything, I should be apologizing to you for not keeping that Anjanath distracted.” Amos chuckled apologetically.

“No! It’s not your fault. Please, don’t blame yourself.” I shook my head, looking at him gratefully as I brought my clasped hands to my chest. He saved my life and I was nothing but grateful, Amos just giving me a wonky smile.

“If anyone should be apologising, it should be me. I should have sent scouts out to make sure you were all safe. I would have come myself if I’d known you had injured members too. That event was born of my error in reading the situation and I hope you can forgive me.” Solomon bowed apologetically to the four of us, then to Harris. 

“Stand up, Solomon. None of what happened was your fault, you couldn’t have known that Anjanath was going to be there and you definitely couldn’t have stopped it even if you tried. That thing was fighting like it had a grudge.” Harris growled and I could see his jaw clench. He had a point; none of us were expecting a fight this soon and especially not from a monster like that Anjanath. 

“Um, Commander Solomon?” Kigo piped up, standing beside me and gripping my arm. 

“What is it, Miss?” Solomon smiled at Kigo warmly.

“What happened to that Anjanath?” 

Solomon and Harris looked at each other, then at Kigo. 

“We captured it for the moment. You may have heard the rumors, but lately monsters in the area have been attacking Hunters without provocation. We’re trying to find out why, but a few years after the Fifth Fleet defeated Xeno’jiiva, an Anjanath killed a Hunter on a gathering quest and dragged the body back to it’s nest but we never found it. The Hunter’s Palico gave a recount of what happened and when we went to find and recover the body, we couldn’t find a trace of the Hunter or even the Anjanath for that matter,” Solomon explained grimly, Kigo’s grip around my arm getting tighter, “Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only incident either. While on an expedition to the Coral Highlands under the Third Fleet’s request, a group of Hunters disappeared. Not even their Palico knew what happened. Apparently, one moment they were there and the next moment, they’d disappeared. We sent out a search for them and despite our best efforts, not even a single hair was recovered.” 

I was uneasy with the information that Solomon was telling us. It was easier to stomach when they were just rumors being whispered around the ship or something we could dismiss as fiction when we were home at Dundorma, but hearing the Commander of Astera confirming it made me feel sick to the stomach. 

“So if the information you’re telling us is true, Commander, nobody in Astera has any idea what we’re up against?” Dola asked, a little harshly. Solomon just nodded, meeting Dola’s unwavering gaze with one of his own. 

“If you don’t mind me saying, sir, exactly what have you been looking for? Has anyone in Astera made any progress?” She frowned, flicking her hair behind her ear. She had more guts than the rest of us but I was glad she asked what we were all thinking. 

“Not at all, Miss?” Solomon asked.

“Dola. Just Dola, no miss.”

“Dola, then. Well, Dola, all we the information we have is with our Chief Ecologist. If you think you may be able to see something we haven’t, you’re free to sift through everything. I must warn you though, our Chief Ecologist’s organization system isn’t exactly easy to decipher!” 

Solomon punctuated his sentence with a nervous laugh as Dola nodded then looked over at Kigo and put a hand on her head.

“You and I will analyze those notes, Kigo. We’ll show these Asteran’s how it’s done.” She smirked, eyebrow raised. I’d seen that look on her face before. Dola was highly competitive and loved to prove a point. If she could at least catch a whiff of why the monsters were going berserk before anyone in Astera could, she’d never let anyone else forget. Dola was as obsessed with proving herself as Kigo was with monsters. Kigo looked up at me with her soft blue eyes nervously, still holding onto my arm. 

“I’ll be fine, Kigo, promise.” I smiled, shaking my arm out of her grip and steering her by her shoulders to the doorway of the infirmary as Dola strode alongside her confidently. Solomon watched her walk out, not hiding the surprise on his face before he turned to Hama and I. 

“Anyways, Hunters. The rest of your fleet are no doubt out and about, so feel free to explore. They’ve already been briefed so you haven’t missed out on anything, so I’ll say it now; Welcome to Astera!” Solomon grinned, folding his arms and nodding his head. Harris rolled his eyes at the gesture as I looked over at Hama. 

“You ready?” I smiled, bumping him with my shoulder. 

“As I’ll ever be. Try and keep up.” Hama smirked smarmily. I was the one to roll my eyes this time, prodding his ribcage with my elbow. 

“You two don’t ever quit that, do you?” Harris sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose frustratedly. Hama and I laughed at each other as Harris turned to take his leave. Solomon gave a breathy laugh at our display as my eyes met Amos’ and I shot a smile his way too. 

“I’ll meet you out there, Hama. I wanna put my armor on, I feel naked without it.” I winked, Hama screwing his face up at my jest. He followed out behind Harris, Solomon and Amos as I searched for my missing armor. 

The infirmary was half built from what I could see, most of it looking like it was made from parts of the ship we arrived on. I looked around the few beds that were inside, noticing a few members of the Sixth Fleet being treated by some nurses and a few people I didn’t know, probably Asteran’s. 

Peeking under the bed, I found my armour and my Dual Blades and dragged them out, noticing they’d been cleaned up too. Slipping everything on and buckling everything up so it fit snug against my body, picking up my blades and sheathing them on my back. 

“Looking good, Sixer.” Someone whistled from behind me. I quickly turned to see a Hunter with his arm in a sling laying on one of the beds. He shot me a cheeky wink as I folded my arms and looked him up and down. 

“Can’t say the same for you. What happened to your arm?” I teased. He ran his good hand through his raven-coloured hair and sighed loudly. The Hunter looked the same age as me, if not a little older, his build on the more tall and lean side, but muscular overall. He was wearing just underclothes as he laid out on the bed, and I continued listening to his story.  
“I was hunting with a partner in the Rotten Vale and we got ambushed by a pair of Odagaron. I’m a Heavy Bowgun user so after using such powerful shots one after the other, eventually it popped my arm right outta my socket,” He bragged, “But no big deal. We brought one of the Monsters down and even with my arm, we managed to bring it back.”  
“Impressive. So how does a big, strong Heavy Bowgun user who’s taking on two monsters let one get away?” I smirked derisively. 

“Hey, weren’t you the one who tried taking on an Anjanath with low level blades and armour? Amos, Commander Solomon’s grandson, carried you in here after you went belly up.”  
My face burned with embarrassment as I snapped my eyes away from the Hunter, who let out a loud laugh. 

“Man, you can dish it out but you can’t take it!” He chuckled, “I’m Xavier.”

He stuck his uninjured hand out at me as I put my pride to the side and shook it. 

“Yuka. Are you from one of the earlier fleets?” I asked, putting my hands on my hips. 

“Nope, born here. If you need someone to serve as a guide, I know this whole place like the back of my hand… Huh, that’s new…” 

He stuck out his injured arm, grinning at me, as I giggled at the gesture. I walked over to door of the infirmary and turned to Xavier. 

“I guess I’ll see you around, Xavier.” I smiled, waving goodbye to him. 

“Try not to run into anymore Anjanath or else I’ll have to come save you!” He teased.

“And risk losing your other arm with your big, strong Bowgun shots? I’ll be careful, just for you.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big chapter incoming!

My jaw almost hit the ground as I stared, wide-eyed at the beautiful, bustling Astera. The rumors didn’t do this place justice, a gorgeous mountaintop separated by a waterfall at the head of it. Beneath the crashing water were two water mills, churning an assortment of long chains that connected different sections of Astera, carrying people, Palico and items like a mechanical Nerscylla web. 

I could smell a mix of salty, sea air and smoke, looking around to see plumes of black smoke billowing from an array of chimneys on one building’s roof. The more I looked around this place, the more I was amazed by what I’d find. All over the place were pieces or entire sections of ships recycled into buildings, structures and landmarks, a huge overturned ship sheltering different stalls and storefronts. I could see the different flags from all the fleets before us scattered around the place, impressing upon me again the scale of how many people had come before us and made Astera the place it was today.

I raced down the winding stairs ahead of me towards the centre of Astera, amazed at the sight of the gorgeous ocean. It felt like Astera was a monument, buildings and structures jutting out of cliffsides and rising from the ocean. 

As I weaved around stalls selling and crafting more than my brain could comprehend, I tried searching around for my companions.

"Yuka!" I heard someone cry out, looking over at a huge stack of books and papers and seeing Kigo's little hand waving out at me, Dola doing the same. 

I raced over, a smile on my face so big it hurt, as I admired the sheer amount of information a small Wyverian sat on, reading and taking notes in a huge book that rested on his lap. He didn't even seem to notice we were here, or maybe he just didn't care, scribbling away with intense focus. 

"This place... Holy shit.. I have no words for this!" I beamed, throwing my arms up in the air and gesturing to the whole of Astera. 

"Yuka, look at all this information! There's monsters here I've never even seen before... And enough detailed information on one's we do know that you could practically build one!" Kigo grinned, a little devilishly. 

"You're drooling, Kigo." I teased as Kigo laughed sheepishly. 

"Man, you guys'll probably explode if you try and read all this." I sighed, some piles three times as high as us. 

"I'll have my funeral here if it means we've uncovered something about the recent attacks, Yuka." Dola said seriously and I nodded, laughing anxiously at her determination. 

"So where did Hama-Bear run off to?" I quickly changed the topic as I searched around for him. Dola’s lips turned up in a smile at the mention of ‘Hama-Bear’.

"He was checking out where we're staying until we're put into private rooms. It's somewhere by the Commanders table." Kigo explained, her eyes shining at a particularly huge book titled 'How to Correctly Dissect a Temnoceran". I looked over at Dola, who shared the same concerned look about Kigo and walked off. 

"I'll catch you guys later! Find me if there’s a breakthrough!" I called out, jogging off towards where Kigo pointed. I could see Harris, Commander Solomon, Amos and a few other people speaking around a huge table covered with a map, slowing down and walking up the stairs. 

"Pardon me, gentlemen. I'm looking for Sixth Fleet Member Hama." I announced, saluting the men as Harris rolled his eyes and Commander Solomon chuckled at the gesture. 

"Amos, show Yuka where their living quarters are. I'm sure that's where Hama went." Harris sighed, waving Amos off as he nodded and walked over to me. 

“I see you’re feeling better. Asteran air must be doing something good for you.” Amos smiled as he lead the way. 

“Yeah, must be. I mean, this place is beautiful and incredible and about a thousand other things that I don’t even know the words for. How was all of this built? How long did it take? Who built all of this? It’s just…” I noticed Amos just smiling at me and realised how Kigo must have felt all those times we teased her for talking about Monsters. 

“Sorry, I’m talking a lot aren’t I?” I laughed sheepishly, following Amos past a huge curtain with the familiar Guild Insignia plastered on it. He held it open for me, then shook his head as he followed in behind me.

“Not at all,” He chuckled, “You aren’t the first person to be this excited and as long as we’ve got fleets coming in, I doubt you’ll be the last. I probably can’t answer everything, but if you ever wanna know something, I’m happy to answer it.” 

“Okay… First question, how can I repay you for saving me?” I smiled, turning to face the brawny man beside me. Amos looked a little surprised by my question as I put my hand on my hip and waited for a response. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful as well as weak in front of Commander Solomon or his kin, already feeling a little embarrassed I asked him that so frankly and more so that I fainted in front of them all. 

“Repay me?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yeah! I’m a lot of things but ungrateful isn’t one of them. You helped me, I mean you literally saved me. If there was ever a time to pay someone back, I think that this counts.” I explained, nervously looking up at Amos. I must have sounded ridiculous but I wouldn’t feel right until I’d paid him back his kindness. 

“Tell you what, when I think of something I need an A-List Hunter for, I’ll let you know,” He winked, “Here’s where you’ll be staying. Sorry they’re a little cramped. We didn’t realise there were going to be so many of you until you sort of all showed up. We’re currently building private rooms for you guys, so hopefully you don’t mind sharing for now.”

“No, it’s alright. We were all crammed onto that ship, so we're used to it. I think they’re…cosy?” I inclined my head to get a better view of the room. It was built from the hull of a ship, the mast serving as a centrepiece and a table to the room. It was lit by a combination of lanterns and light filtering through the ceiling and there were four bunk beds as well as a couple of hammocks, an Item Box and ropes and nets tied all around the place above us. 

The beds were all pretty close to one another, a few of them having a little hammock for Palico to sleep in as I walked over to one and took a seat. Despite how old they looked (and smelled), they were surprisingly soft. Amos leaned against a nearby bed and just looked around the place, almost sentimentally. I followed his gaze and noticed a bunch of carvings in the wood; 

_F + J_

_Tara is the greatest Handler ever!!!_

_Insect Glaive is dumb <\-- Only coz you never used one!_

_Xavier likes_ The name next to it was scratched out beyond recognition.

_Amos is a crybaby!_

_Soren stole Malakai’s Might Seeds <\--heart <\--ew no!_

There were so many carvings I hadn’t noticed; names, dates, near conversations just crossed out and carved over. As small as this place was, it was obviously filled to the brim with memories and good times that only added to the charm of it despite the funky smell and cramped size.

“Crybaby, huh?” I asked, pointing over to a carving by the doorway. Amos looked over and chuckled at the scratchy carvings and the thought of Amos ever being anything than a buff, dashing Hunter enough to make me laugh a little too. I looked around and saw some carvings on the beds too, a few of them more risqué than others that really made me hope they changed the blankets on them as I stood up and noticed what I was looking for was nowhere to be found.

“Looks like Hama-Bear isn’t here.” I sighed, looking around the little room and putting my hands on my hips.

“Hama-Bear?” Amos raised an amused eyebrow at the silly pet name. 

“Oh yeah… Hama once had a boxing match with an Arzuros for it’s bee’s nest because he was hungry. I mean, he beat it which was impressive but,” I was struggling to stop the giggles, “B-but… When he chased it off… H-he said… He was covered in Honey…He chases after it… telling it he was the Alpha now!”

The memory of Hama, two black eyes, a busted lip, covered in sickly sweet honey as he yelled profanities at the cowardly Fanged Beast slinking away was enough to have me in tears. Amos chuckled at the story as I tried to calm myself down enough to string together a coherent sentence. 

“S-sorry…” I giggled. 

“No, it’s nice to see people laughing around here. Ever since those attacks, you don’t get a lot of moments like this unless we’re all drinking.” Amos smiled, a hint of sadness in those words. 

I wasn’t here for a holiday, I needed to remember that. We were brought here as Hunters to take down these rouge monsters, not to laugh about some silly stories while we had people suffering. I pulled myself together and looked up at Amos with determination. 

“Amos, if it’s not too much to ask, I want to go on a hunt. Or expedition, I guess? Gotta prove I’m an A-List Hunter for a reason, after all.” I nodded. 

“Of course,” He smirked, “We’ve already sent out a group so if you can stay on your feet long enough, I’ll be happy to take a group out and show you guys the ropes.”

I was a little surprised as Amos’ jest as he headed back to the entrance and I followed along behind him, still wondering just where the hell Hama was. 

\---

Four of us stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the Canteen, our stomachs full and our seemingly endless Item Pouches packed with the essentials. 

My Dual Blades were sheathed on my back, my armour strapped on tight and I could barely keep still, occasionally bumping against Hama’s shoulder as Amos paced back and forth in front of us.

“Since you’ve all been briefed on the current state of the Monsters, rules around Hunting are a little different. We run in groups of four and at the least, you stay in pairs. If you find yourself separated from another Hunter, I want you to go straight to a Campsite and remain there with the Handler until your counterpart returns. If they don’t come back within the hour, send out a flare and go straight back to Astera. Do not attempt to go back out there. I know it may be difficult to do, I hate it too, but we can’t lose any more people than we have to.” Amos explained, his usually kind and friendly demeanour a little more on edge. Commander Solomon, Harris and an entire team of directors and ecologists were still deliberating on exactly what to do with the Anjanath they’d captured so most of the training was left to Amos, his ‘Master’, the Huntsman Silas. 

Silas was out with another group and we were all awaiting their return with bated breath. We peered out into the afternoon sky, watching out for approaching Mernos or SOS flares, and hoping that every Hunter who left was returning. With Huntsman Silas there, we all knew that even though they may not be totally safe, they were well equipped and well protected. Today’s expedition was just to help us get a feel for the Ancient Forest since it would be our frequent stomping grounds and there was nobody better to show us than Astera-born Amos. 

“Today I want the four of you to stick with me. We’ve captured the Anjanath that roams the forest, but that doesn’t mean we’re totally safe, it just means we’ve taken one of the many threats out of the picture. I don’t need to tell you guys not to fuck with the Monsters if we don’t have to, unless you think you’re up to taking one on but right now we’re just focusing on getting you guys up to speed on the layout.” Amos smiled, putting his hands on his hip and nodding over at Hama and I specifically. I gave him a feigned look of amusement as we saw a few Mernos rose above the horizon, Hunters attached to their strong claws as a few people cheered on their return. 

Leading the pack of them was Silas and he was greeted with a hearty handshake and pat on the back by Amos. 

“I swear, Amos, there’s no point us even being there. The Guild really delivered on their promise for A-List Hunters.” He sighed at Amos. We greeted the rest of the Hunters who I’d recognized from our fleet, the group of them talking animatedly about their experience and spoils. 

“I filled an entire pouch with goodies! I’m going to be able to craft so much stuff with this!” A blonde Huntress beamed, her pouch sagging on her back. 

“Did you see those massive herds of Aptonoth? I managed to grab heaps of raw meat from bringing them down! That Meowscular Chef is gonna thank me for all this!” A short, stocky Hunter grinned. 

“Have fun out there you guys. Try not to faint though, Yuka…” A particularly snarky Huntress teased, a few of the others laughing or smirking.

“Ha ha, very funny, but you’re forgetting exactly which of us was on deck fighting a Bazelgeuse and which of us shit our pants below deck when Harris told ‘em to leave.” I smirked back at her, flicking my hair behind my shoulder as Hama just stoically stared at the other hunters who laughed at the remark.

“Yeah, well at least I know my limits. Unlike you, I plan to outlive two weeks here.” She rolled her eyes, walking off past us. Hama and I turned, watching her walk away then laughing to each other. 

“Alright, alright, that’s enough. Take up your positions, Sixers, it’s time to cast off!” Amos commanded, forcing the four of us to snap to attention and pick out an awaiting Mernos.  
“Race you there!” I exclaimed, shoving Hama and shooting my Slinger at a Mernos’ claw. I was lifted into the sky, the Mernos crying out and complaining as I adjusted myself to look out at the gorgeous view before me.

The sky was tinged pink as the sun lowered towards the horizon and clouds were strewn across the sky like a beautiful painting. At the centre of the Ancient Forest below was a gorgeous, gargantuan tree that rose above the others like a tower. I looked below seeing rivers, beaches and dense forests teeming with life, herds of herbivores grazing or running off together, Wingdrakes gliding alongside us, probably attracted to us by the disgruntled cries of the ones we were riding and Neopteron feeding on vibrant flowers and blooming plants. 

There was the one thing I could never get tired seeing as a Hunter, and it was this; the gorgeous sight of new areas to hunt and explore. I would never tire of the feeling of awe I felt in my chest, how beautiful and varied every new land we went to could be, how each Monster could impact, affect and benefit the environment they lived in and how easily they could destroy the delicate balance the environment provided them. It was as breathtaking as it was intriguing and even intimidating.

As the others soared alongside me, I could hear Hama cheering wildly from behind me. 

“THIS! IS! SO! FUCKING COOL!” He howled, pumping his fist in the air. I couldn’t help it, his enthusiasm as infectious as always and joined him, cheering and crying out at the top of my lungs as eventually we were all crying out, Amos watching us carry on like excited kids until eventually the Mernos began circling the sky above the campsite. 

We all released our Slingers one by one, hitting the loose earth beneath us. The campsite was hidden away by thick, leafy trees and high cliffs, leaving us nestled comfortably in a small shady clearing. There was a single tent, enough room for maybe two people to squeeze in, a small canteen with a few seats, an Item Box and an awaiting Handler loaded with emergency flares standing by. We all greeted the Handler while Amos spoke with them briefly before turning to us. 

“Since it’ll be dark in a couple hours, I want us all to stay together as a group. This is just an introduction to the area after all. If anyone strays from the group, follow your map or your Scoutflies back here and wait for us. The Handler here knows the drill so don’t think you can slip by him easily if you think coming back out for us is a good idea.” Amos explained calmly. 

“What’s the point of being out here if we don’t even get to explore? Or hunt anything?” One of the other Hunter’s huffed. 

“The point is to let you get a feel before we let you loose. You may have been great Hunters in the Old World, but things swing a little differently around here. If I let you guys out without knowing the basics and you get hurt, or worse,” Amos emphasized the last point, “I couldn’t live with myself knowing I let you run off without basic training. Now, you don’t have to stick to me but just stay within sight of each other.” 

Amos looked at each of us one last time before making his way over to a small gap between the trees. They followed after him but I could still hear the other Hunter grumbling as they walked by, Hama and I making sure we were good on supplies.

“That guy’s Master or whatever said he didn’t even need to be out there because the Sixth Fleet was so good, how come this guy doesn’t trust us.” They whispered. Hama and I finished packing and followed behind them too, prying apart the tree branches in front of us. 

“After you.” Hama grunted, wrenching a tangle of vines and branches out of the way. 

“Why, thank you.” I bowed before pushing past them and slipping out into the awaiting forest. 

When I turned to face the awaiting forest, I was stunned silent, my mouth agape and my eyes wide. I felt like this expression was going to be a running thing the more we got to explore. We were standing above a wide open plain, the huge tree we spotted on the way in standing high and mighty above it all. It’s huge roots wound and twisted on themselves creating a protective barrier around us. I could hear the ocean to the right of us, seeing vast mountains along the oceanside. As Hama and I jogged after Amos and the others, I noticed that the whole area was divided into haphazard sections by a gentle stream that was probably the cause for all the lush greenery that was blooming all over the place. We passed by a herd of Aptonoth who were gently grazing, undisturbed by our presence as Hama and I splashed loudly through the water by them. 

“This is Area One. Usually it’s just inhabited by the Aptonoth here so it’s a good place to go if you’re looking for meat. These guys breed like crazy so take your share but be aware that it will attract other Monsters. It’s a great way to bring them to you if you’re looking for a fight.” Amos explained, leading us towards a small tunnel created by trees and vines. We noticed a few watching eyes on us, everyone’s weapons at the ready as claws scraped wood around us and we could hear ominous hissing. I looked over at Amos who was looking towards the centre of the new area we’d been led into, taking particular interest in an Aptonoth carcass that looked fairly fresh. 

As we neared it, the sounds around us went from quiet hissing to angry screeches as we looked up at the network of vines and branches that was mobbed with striped Fanged Wyverns, Jagras if I remember correctly, all hissing and screeching and crying out at us as we neared the bloody carcass.

“Guess they weren’t expecting guests…” Hama said quietly, looking around at the four-legged lizards. 

“This is their feeding ground. Lucky for us, the Great Jagras just dropped this off so it’ll be a while before it comes through here again. These guys are cowards so they aren't going to attack us, especially if we keep moving and leave their feed alone.” Amos explained as I looked around and everyone had already drawn their weapons. Hama was hitting his Lance against his shield, stirring up the Monsters as a few of them began climbing down the thick tree trunks, others jumping off to try and surround us. My eyes met Hama's and my Dual Blades were in my hands in the blink of an eye, the other Hunters retrieving their Hunting Horn and Sword and Shield. They were smaller, weaker monsters, just fodder for a bigger hunt, but we were all at a disadvantage with our weak armour and weapons so we knew despite our experience, it could get ugly fast. That thought only served to spur me on though. I had to prove I was in Astera because I _deserved_ to be, that I was truly an A-List Hunter and I could kick Monster ass without breaking a sweat, even with this shitty equipment. 

A Jagras leapt out at us and before the others could get a hit in, I ran in front of it, catching it head on and rolling along the ground with the scaly beast in my arms. I planted my foot against it's chest and kicked out at it, hearing it squeal a little as it launched through the air. I got up quickly, slipping into my stamina-draining Demon Mode and feeling the rush it brought exploding through my veins like lightning. I had missed this feeling, racing over to the beast now surrounding me with it's fellow Jagras and threw myself at them, my shoddy blades shaving and ripping off the blue and yellow scales of their bodies, splattering blood across the ground and on my amour. Two of them fell as I drove my blades into their thin skulls, shaking the blood off, and taking down another two with a flurry of swings. Turning back to my fellow Hunters who were watching on uncertainly, I beamed at them proudly.

Hama was grinning at me like I'd just given him a steak made of gold and I knew he was fired up while the other two looked at my blood splattered face worriedly. I had seen that look a thousand times since I picked up a set of Dual Blades. They weren't exactly the cleanest weapons, that was a given. They made you get up close and personal with Monsters, forcing you to come uncomfortably close with snapping jaws, sharp talons, blistering hot fire and whatever else Monsters could throw at you. You could try and fight cleanly, try and think about where you're going to hit them and make calculated strikes but where was the fun in that?

They say that the greatest Dual Blade wielders can take down a Monster like they're filleting the finest cut of meat, without spilling a single drop of Monster blood and without sacrificing essential parts for crafting, but that wasn't me. I had a tendency to spill blood, ripping monsters apart and scattering parts around the place like they didn't matter and enjoying it all the while. Demon Mode surprisingly helped curb that tendency, making my hits more precise, my cuts deeper and deadlier but cleaner too. Other Hunters were often shocked as I ripped apart a monster like I was a monster myself, coming out covered in Guild-Knows-What and grinning like an overexcited child.

After the cowards of the Jagras pack slunk away, we were left to face the ones that remained, baring their fangs, lunging and snapping at us and working as a pack to try and surround us. Slinking down the trees, leaping to the ground and calling out to any other Monster that could hear us, they were readying themselves as were we. Snapping their attention away from me, the other Hunters focused on their targets and I glanced over at Amos. His Greatsword was drawn and he was looking around the treetops, probably counting the amount of beasts that were now attempting to overwhelm us and our eyes met.

"Guess I couldn't stop the Hunters from hunting, huh?" He sighed. 

"Like hell you could keep us from doing what we do best!" Hama roared, smacking a Jagras away from the Hunting Horn wielder and stabbing at it with his Lance. I smiled at Amos, itching to prove myself as I turned to take on more of these oncoming beasts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I didn't know when to stop this chapter! Also, thanks to the 2 people who gave kudos and to everyone who reads this, that actually hits me right in my feels ( ; - ; )
> 
> I swear it'll get more interesting and plotty and angsty and dramatic and maybe smutty instead of just constantly building relationships (which is what I'm hoping I'm able to convey?) and fighting monsters!


End file.
